Saturday, September 10, 2011

Melon Pan Attempt #1&2

It sucks when I don't keep posting as I bake. This post should've been up back in early June.. Now, I kind of forgot which recipe I used. But judging from the portions each batch makes.. I think my first recipe was from Corner Cafe and second was from Cooking with the Dog.

I've been following Cooking with the Dog on youtube for quite a while now. And when their tutorials on Melon Pan came up. I was beyond excited! The lady made them seem super easy& fun to make and super tasty!

The truth is bread making is not as easy as it looks. My bread came out edible the day out of the oven. But the next day it was dry and rough (still edible). The texture was dense and not fluffy as the ones I like to eat. I found that a lot of the homemade bread has this problem- hardening overnight.. How do bakeries keep them so soft and fluffy over days??! Is it really chemical additives? Or am I just lacking the proper techniques..

Well anyways, taste-wise the pan was not that great either. The flour taste of the bun dough was prominent. I suspect maybe a little milk powder would eliminate that problem. The one thing I enjoyed the most was probably the cookie dough. It was crunchy and sweet. And compared with the recipe from Corner Cafe, I prefer this one more. I would maybe try using this cookie dough on a fluffier bun next time.

1. Start by making cookie dough first- Cream butter with whisk. Gradually whisk in sugar. Whisk until sugar has dissolved.2. When color turns near white, slowly whisk in egg.3. Mix the cake flour and baking powder together. Sieve for 2 times. 4. Add 1/3 of flour mixture to the butter. Lightly mix with spatula. Repeat for the rest. Do not overmix!5. Shape dough in cylinder shape. Wrap with plastic wrap and fridge for an hour. 6. Divide the dough into 5 equal pieces. 7. Shape each dough piece into ball. Flatten into disk. (Return dough to fridge for easier handle)

6. Now onto the bun dough- Add sugar, salt, milk powder, yeast and bread flour to a bowl and whisk. 7. Beat egg with warm water and gradually stir with a spatula into flour. Stir until evenly mix. 8. Transfer the crumble flour mixture and knead/ throw until less sticky. 9. Flatten dough and spread on butter. Continue kneading for another 10 minutes until the surface is smooth and glossy. 10. Shape dough into ball and let it rest/proof in a covered bowl for 40 minutes or until ~2x in size.11. Finger test- Coat finger with flour and poke into the dough. If the hole does not spring back, it is ready.12. Lightly flatten the dough and roll into a long cylinder. 13. Divide into 5 equal pieces. 14. Shape each piece into ball. Cover with plastic wrap and let it rest for 20 minutes. 15. Reshape each dough into ball.

16. Cover with cookie dough and adjust the shape.17. Hold the dough upside down and stretch the cookie dough into the center. (I wasn't able to stretch my cookie dough cause it was too soft& melty. I just loosely laid it on top of the bun dough)18. Pinch bottom of dough and dip the cookie dough in sugar. Make diagonal patterns on top with scraper. Repeat with the rest. 19. Rest for 40 minutes until ~2x in size.20. Bake in a 340F preheated oven for 12 minutes or until golden brown.

^gave up taking a clear picture when they came out unsuccessful. It almost looks underbaked in the center ):

Taste: 1 star out of 5 (flour-y bun, 1 star for the sweet cookie dough)Texture 1 star out of 5 (dry and dense, 1 star for the crunchy cookie dough)